EDM soon became one of the most popular music genres all around the world and some of the forms of electronic music are Breakbeat, Dance-punk, Eurodance, Freestyle, House, Techno and Trance. Though the roots of electronic music are based in the disco music which was very popular in the 1970s it was only in 1990s, that this type music was widely accepted and it became one of the contemporary music styles in following years. Electronic music is generally created by means of electronic equipments and instruments like synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers and it mimics the unique sounds of the traditional acoustic instrumentation.

Apart from electro music genres like trance, techno, house and breakbeat which are primarily intended for dancing. Some genres of electronic music like IDM and trip hop are more associated with listening rather than body movements. Trance, which is also one of the forms of electronic genre of music, is a combination of techno, house and industrial music. The name is undoubtedly linked to perceive the ability of music to induce an altered state of consciousness.

With the growth of computers and music technologies, and reduction in the cost of music equipments, a number of upcoming artists and disk jockeys have emerged, showcasing their talent and taking electronic music to the next level. Also, with the advent of hard disk recording system, it is possible for any computer user to become a musician, hence we see a rising trend of bedroom bands where often only single player is the band himself.

Many artists are defining music as the new dubstep; it certainly has become the new craze in the industry. Although the history of the genre dates back to a decade ago, it has only recently started to gain recognition and hype.

Many people consider the fact that since trap’s crossover to EDM it has started to grow in demand with sold out glow-sticked arenas due to EDM Trap’s popularity. The major reason why this genre has been ambushed by the world is the transformation trap music has gone through, with not as much rapping and more feet moving beats involved in the songs.

To get a better understanding of music, it could be broken down and described as a combination of dubstep, hip hop, and dance music.

So basically what kind of music is trap music? Traditionally it’s a term generally used to describe hip hop music from the Southern regions of America. Music has pretty much become identifiable with Hip-hop and takes influence from the rap sound in the South.

Numerous artists like Flosstradamus, RL Grime, Baauer and Gladiator have had astounding demand since implementing trap into their own music.

Trap has become a raging craze with the masses of people at clubs, parties and underground gigs. It is no surprise that it is such a big hit with the people considering the music is so likeable and trap stylings can be injected into any form or style of music. No wonder it has caught everybody in its trap much faster than dubstep or electro and it’s fairly simple to see why.

But first, a little background: I am a music festival addict to the bone. I cannot get enough. I attended Vans Warped Tour as a young punk rocker in high school and in college, along with other day-long music festivals, mostly in the punk and alternative genre. The punk scene was so attractive to me as a pre-teen and beyond because it had this amazing sense of unity and empowerment. I felt like I totally belonged. I wasn’t weird for making my own clothes or fighting for my rights and the rights of others. I truly felt like I could make a positive difference in the world. And I wasn’t alone. Punk wasn’t about lying down and taking it just because bad things are “going to happen anyway.” For me, and others, it was about standing up, fighting back, and bringing people together, no matter how different.

Punk rock eventually led me to having a more of an indie-punk fashion sense and to listening to post-hardcore. These post-hardcore bands started to use synths more and more as years went on. Although synths had been used in hardcore and similar genre since the early 90’s, the first albums I came across with a heavy synth presence were between 2006 and 2008. It sounded more like electro-hardcore to me. And I loved it, a lot! So more and more I developed a love for bands with electronic elements. Electro-pop, electro-core, and so on.

Then Bonnaroo happened. I had heard rumours of the modern-Woodstock and I knew I had to check it out. A couple of my close guy friends were going and I quickly claimed a spot in their car for the 17+ hour drive to Manchester, TN in the summer of 2011.

Because of cheap computers and music software programs such as Ableton Live, Pro Logic, FL9 or Reason, this enables would-be producers to create their own music in there bedrooms, eliminating the need for expensive recording studios and large equipment. Gone are the days of spending your hard earned cash booking a £150 per hour recording studio only to be watching the clock eve 5 minutes because you’re worried about finishing your track in time without spending even more money for extra time.

Many of today’s modern artists such as electronic and hip hop musicians and remixers need to use digital media sources and computer equipment to help them create their magic. Thankfully, the advent of the Internet means that established and up-and-coming musicians, producers and filmmakers can easily download a wide array of royalty free WAV samples , MIDI Loops and drum loops that can inspire them to create new and exciting electronic music productions.

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Notation Programs VS DAWs

Notation programs are software used to create sheet music. You would need to know how to read and write music to use it. DAWs or Digital Audio Workstations are stronger for producing professional sounding audio. The amount of sounds libraries, virtual instruments and effects are endless. DAWs have more powerful ways to manipulate notes and sounds than Notation programs.

How do I decide which type of program to choose?

Generally, if you want to create great sounding audio, use a DAW. Alternatively, if you want to compose for live instruments, an orchestra, choir and won’t need to record your tracks in a studio, plus you’re game in music notation, choose a notation program.

Best Notation Programs for Music Composition

Finale

Finale is the cream of the crop in music notation programs and is used professionally by sheet music creators. The printed music at your local music store would most likely be made using Finale. The learning curve is a little high though, with tons of features. It may be too complicated for beginners but you can try Finale Notepad first which is a free, easier version to use.

Sibelius

The main competitor to Finale, Sibelius is great for all types of composers. Finale targets the traditionalists, and Sibelius the more general audience. Maybe too bold of a statement, but Sibelius tends to be popular with media composers such as film and video game music composers. The interface is very easy to learn and use, and is more beginner-friendly.

MuseScore

MuseScore is the best free notation program out there. It has a lot of features and is considered equal to the full blown programs such as Finale and Sibelius. A little hard to learn for the beginner, but will greatly pay off considering this is a free program with full capabilities.

Techno music, which some say, came out of Detroit in the early 90’s, may have begun through the evolutionary progress of various new textures, patterns and sounds which were emerging from all over the world.

New electronic music devices were being created while electronic sounds were coming into their own. The kick and snare became the heartbeat of the song. The bass became the backbone driving force. The synthesizer was the melody which brought people into the nightclub doors, and kept them dancing from dusk to dawn.

Over the years, some of the different genres and sub styles which have emerged with this new sound have been called: Deep House, House, Techo, Megabeat, Electro House, Disco House, Funky House, Garage, Techno, Industrial, Electronica, Breakcore, Micro-house, Underground, Trance, Ambient, Breaks, Minimal Techno, and many more.

But in looking at where we are now, it was the music groups from as far back as the 60’s that were the veterans of this new sound. Bands like “The Tornados” created one of the first techno-pop songs entitled Telstar in 1962, which became a Billboard number one hit for the band. The song featured a Clavioline, an instrument like a keyboard with a very distinctive electronic sound. Telstar was the first U.S. number one hit by a British group. The song was originally thought to be just a novelty record intended to make people think about the dawn of the space age. Little did they know at the time how evolutionary their record would become.

Since then, DJ’s and Re-mixers (both male and female) have come on the dance music scene, creating an entirely new sound of the future. With their flair for remixing different sounds, cuts and beats, many DJ’s have created number one dance singles. In doing so, they have developed a new artistry and way for them to be heard by music industry power players. Further, they continue to compete at becoming the best mixers and most popular DJ’s in the clubs. In their own right, they have become the celebrities.

With respect to all forms of music and genres introduced, there is no one sound or genre which now stands alone. Music is as diverse as the creators’ imagination. But groundbreakers, such as The Tornados and Kraftwerk have helped to pave the way.

Stay tuned, because the next groundbreakers are sitting in their studios (or sound proofed bedroom closets) right now creating the hottest ‘new sound’ as we speak. And moving forward toward the future, who knows what those sounds will be entitled. Perhaps you will come up with the next new style yourself. If so, what will it be coined? The world’s audience will definitely be listening.

A Tracklist Will Help You Get Found
Including a tracklist or playlist with your mix sets is an essential part of promoting your career as a performing artist. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, a proper play list is the best way to ensure your mix sets are easily found by house heads worldwide. With each tracklist, you provide Google an opportunity to index key search terms such as song title, artist, remixer, and label. Use this as a tool to be found by fans that follow and support the same style as you. Technically speaking, a playlist will promote your mix even when you’re asleep!

In the world of house music, there are thousands of underground, unsigned, and aspiring artists it’s amazing how much music never makes it to the mainstream market. Even then, what our culture considers “mainstream” is still considered “underground” in the world of major labels. It’s important that your listeners identify where the music is coming from, so that their hard work is in the spotlight as well.

Playlists are an Industry Standard
House and electronic dance music has always been about discovering new music. As a DJ/Artist, it is your duty to educate your fans and audience. Don’t be afraid to include a playlist with all your mixes – It’s an industry standard and without one you can easily be misinterpreted as lazy or holding back.

Minimum format: ARTIST – TITLE
Preferred format: ARTIST – TITLE – REMIXER – LABEL
Example: DJ Smith feat Mary Jones – “It’s getting funky” (Funklord Club Remix) – K1 Music

Show Your Support
It’s rare that you will become a world renown artist based solely on your DJ sets. Most disc jockeys do more than just play music. They often have a combination of elements working for them including a radio show, remix/production, a club residency, promoting their own night/event, or a record label. A natural progression for many DJs is getting into music production or remixing. One day, your music will be a part of someone else’s mix, and you certainly hope they give you proper recognition. Show your support and make sure you acknowledge their talent by including their information on your playlist.

Our Future Depends on You
With a tracklist you are providing a service to the artist or label in the event the listener wants to buy that song/track. Whether you’re a fan or DJ – Think about the all the times you’ve listened to a mix, and NEEDED to buy a certain song. You found out what it was, and you bought it on iTunes, Amazon, Traxsource, Beatport, or your favorite digital music store. With a proper tracklist, you’re saying YES to the future of the digital music industry.

1. Keep an open mind – This is by far one of the most idiotic mistakes we all make unconsciously if we’re not careful. Remember any music that you’re not enjoying all that much can be attributed to many things, but most importantly: remember that one bad song does not define the genre or sub-genre.

2. Don’t listen to cheese – Yes this means YOU, yes YOU sitting there wondering if you really have to put down your DJ Sammy, your Ian Van Dahl, your DJ Encore, your Darude – Sandstorm, and the list goes on. I am not going to sit here and tell you which artist to listen to or what not to, but there is DEFINITELY a world of a difference between eating McDonalds every day and having a rotation of quality foods like Japanese-grown Kobe Beef Filet Mignon every night. They may both be loosely labeled “beef” but there is a world of difference in difference in texture, taste, flavors, aromas and such that the person who has never had either will not be able to immediately appreciate on first taste. Remember my fundamental first point? Don’t be one of those people who think it’s cool to go against mainstream music just because it is mainstream. Have your own thought and opinion. Don’t fall victim and prey to social conditioning. I personally love what DJ’s like Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, etc. are doing for the EDM and Trance world. Are they mainstream? Yes. Are they utterly good at what they do to promote the genre, contribute POSITIVELY to it, and at the end of the day make millions of people around the world let go of their problems and burdens for the brief time they’re listening to them? That is the ultimate delimiter and deciding factor in a question of this scale. To wrap this point up, I believe a quote by one of the most genius and talented producers of our era Brian Transeau (aka BT) says it all:

“I love what guys like Oliver Lieb and Paul van Dyk do. I hate that ATB and those sorts of people have prostituted this stuff. You listen to an ATB track and then you listen to Sasha, and the difference is as obvious as listening to Led Zeppelin and Rachmaninoff.” – Brian Transeau

3. Don’t listen to low bitrate music – Now we’re starting to get to the heart of how to actually enjoy the music once we have little nuances like ignorance and stereotyping of a genre of music out of the way. Please do yourself a favor and refuse to listen to anything that is at the VERY least 128 kbps when you first start out, and then 192 kbps when you find that your brain and ears can hear the difference in them. The jump from 192 kbps and 320 kbps takes a bit longer to bridge, but I wholly encourage everyone who has the ability to get a 320 rip of whatever their tunes to do so. If you have no idea what bitrate means, in a nutshell the numbers denote how much information is coming through when you are listening. The less information that comes through, the more muffled, low quality, and ultimately un-lifelike the sound will sound.

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Take the building blocks for creating music – rhythm, pitches, and melodic aspects. While, in traditional music, they may be created through a symphonic orchestra or a rock band, electronic music often transposes these multi-instrumental aspects into one instrument.

Synthesizers, for example, are truly the first instrument available for making dance music. Although in its early days, it was mainly seen as a novelty device for making strange sounds on film soundtracks, it gradually evolved into a key player in recording music. Polyphonic abilities and sampling capabilities were given to the instrument in the 1980s and, although the need for session players never phased out, a synthesizer could be used as the accompaniment with several sounds to a singer’s vocals.

In more recent electronic dance music, the turntable is a significant component. For many DJs, this device is coupled with a mixing console and other devices needed for on-the-spot production. Nevertheless, from production to scratch DJs, this device has become a necessity for playing the sounds that the DJ then tweaks. To further its reputation as a legitimate instrument, a concerto for turntable that utilized scratching techniques was written earlier this decade.

A computer, preferably a laptop in recent years, has been another device used regularly in electronic dance music. In the earlier days on the genre, sounds were created on a computer, copied onto a disc, and added to a sampling keyboard. In the present, the computer becomes another instrument in a musician’s setup. Programs like Ableton Live and Logic Audio allow sounds to be recorded from the outside, incorporated into the track, and, in a live performance, used directly from the computer. Additionally, a computer is often attached to a turntable or keyboard setup as a source of samples.

Aside from these three main components, additional ones may be added. Nintendo systems and tablet computers have found their way into DJ setups recently. Tape players, similarly, have been added from genres ranging from synth-pop to classical as a source of loops and repetition.

This process begins with you finding a website that will connect you with the software you need. Online there are hundreds of websites that are devoted to helping you to make the strongest dance music possible. They just require that you do spend some time focusing on the progression of the track and ensure that it gets the heart pounding.

Audacity Is a Free, Open Source editor that you can use on a Mac, Windows or Linux computer. It really is a great tool for people that want`s to start making music online, and is beginner friendly.

The only problem i found with this free software is that one`s you have change the audio and don’t like it, you can not go back and tweak the composer or EQ again. You will have to start over, unless you get a paid tool that is. The tool will convert your finished song into MP3 format, which is not really that good, WAV is better if you want to send it to a producer, But it will help you learn how to make music online, and when you ready, go for a pro tool. Once you have selected between a couple different options, it will be time for you to look at the tutorials that they offer. The goal is going to be to get a deep understanding of how you can create your own dance music, while remaining in the confines of the software you are using.

Typically, these tutorials will touch on everything from the kinds of beats that can be found in dance music, to how you can take compression’s and supercharge the music that you are producing in the process. With the tutorial out of the way, you can then begin to flesh out a track and make it your own. Often, this starts by simply choosing your core instrument and then creating a small track sample. When you have the beat and general sound in place, you can begin to flesh out the song, so it comes across as fresh and vibrant. It will be important that you maintain the flow, for the best results possible.

For example, if you have a hard driven heavy dance beat, you wouldn’t suddenly change it to a ballad as the progression isn’t natural. Sound effects are going to be the next important element that your track is going to need, in order to be successful. Often, this will be tricks like compression in the music that gives it some depth and a life of its own.